Improvement in bending-machines



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

Ir A. WHITNEY.

BENDING-MACHINE.

Patented Aug.8,1876.

NJETERS. PHOTDLITHOGRAPMER, WASHINGTON. D C.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 .Y P. A. WHITNEY.

.N BENDING-MMHINE.

No.180,81o. Patented Aug.a,1a7e.

"JEFES, PHDTO-LITHDGRAPHER. WASHINGTON. D C.

STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PARDON A. WHITNEY, OF SOUTHINGTON, CONNECTICUT.

IMPROVEMENT IN BENDING-MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters 'Patent No. 180,810, dated August 8, 1876; application filid May 4, 1876.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known` that I, PARDON A. WHITNEY, of Southington, Hartford county, inthe State of Connecticut, have invented `certain Improvements in Machines for Bending andFolding Sheet Metal, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, formingpart of this specification.

My invention relates to a machine for bending or folding thev edges of sheet metal by means of a swinging bar work-ing Iround a bladeor folder-edge; and it consists in the specific devices and combinationsof parts hereafter particularlyset forth, and more fully recitedin the claims.

Figure lis a plan of a machine embodying my invention. Fig.2 is an under-face view of the folder-blade,l showing the improved gage for setting same. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the parts shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 4. is a side elevation of the machine; and Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the same on the line w w, Fig. 1.

A is the base of the machine. Upon this base is the upright standard c, which forms the bed to hold the metal during the operation of bending the edge thereof. This standard has slots'a/ extending across its face, in

which the arms of the gage work. B is the folding-blade, the folding-edge of which is arranged over the standard a, as shown. 'The said blade is mounted at its rear side by means of slots engaging tenons b on the upper ends of arms b1, which are mounted on the short rock-shafts b2, having bearings at b3 in the rear of the standard. The said blade is also connected by screws c to the arms C, which are under the blade, and swing upon the shaft c1, which shaft carries the frictionrollers c2, and has slotted bearings at c3 in posts or standards d, as shown. By this means the said frictionrollers, which bear against the cams D, are suspended upon the blade B, and the movement of said cams is then felt by the blade. Upon the shaft c is hung an oil cup or bex, o4, preferably divided into compartments, as shown, and partly inclosing the said friction-rollers and the joints of the arms 'C to the shalt, whereby all drip of the lubricating-oil is avoided. The said cams D Work in bearings in the upper ends of the standards d xed on the base A, and are operated by segmental pinions d2 iixed on the ends of the cam-shafts d1, said pinions engaging the racks d3, which are pivoted to the cranks e1 on the ends of the shaft or bearings c of the foldingbar E, and which are hung upon the outer ends of the cam-shafts d1 by a pin or bolt, d4, and a long slot, d5, as shown. The folding-bar E is mounted to turn on bearings ein the standards e2, which are yoked at e3 to the camshaft, as shown,-and which extend through slots to the under side of the base, where they are respectively connected, one on each side,

to arms b4 depending from the short rock-` shafts b2, through slots, to the under side of the base, by means of the rods or yokes e, slotted at e5, as shown. The movement of the folding-bar E is limited in one direction-that is, when it is folded upon the blade B by a pin, f, set in the standard d, against which the bar impinges, and its movement is limited when unfolded or opened by the pins or projections f', which catch against the under side of the blade B, and also serve to raise the blade up from the bed a to release the sheet metal. The blade is relieved from strain or jar by contact with these pins-f by means of the pins g set on the inner face of the standards e2, which engage or bear against the beveled or inclined upper edge g1 of the arms G, which are pivoted to the base, as shown, and have a coil-springs, g2, set in the base, and adjusted under caps g3, forming part of the arms G, so that when the bar E is opened the pins g will press upon the arms G, thus compressing the coil-springs adjusted thereto.

The folding-blade B is made adjustable, t0 form either a round or short fold in the sheet metal, by means of thumb-screws H hinged at h to the arms b1, and working in standards h xed to the base A.

My improved gage, as shown in Figs. Zand 3, is secured upon the under side of the folding-blade B, and has the slide K, carrying upon its forward end the bars k, which move in the slots a in the bed-piece a, the said slide havin-g the L-shaped projection k1 on its upper side, which extends along the slide, and is arranged to move in one ofthe ways k2, and the piece k3 arranged to move in the opposite way k2, and being held in place by the spring k, which is sustained by the pin 1:5 in the slide, as shown. To the forward end of the slide at mis attached a thumb-screw, M, which extends backward over the slide (it being shown broken oi' in the drawing to disclose the parts beneath it) to and through the nut m. By means of this construction with the piece k3 and spring h4 the gage is relieved from all wear and strain while moved in its Ways, and is rendered more drm and durable.

I am aware that Letters Patent have been hitherto granted to me, jointly with another, for a machine for bending and folding sheet metal,and I do not intend to claim herein the parts and combinations of parts therein shown and described. 1n said machine the foldingbar is made adjustable t0 form a round or open bend in the sheet metal, and, consequently, the journals or bearings of the said bar are movable; whereas, in the machine herein shown and described the folding-blade is adjustable and the folding-bar is stationary, so that the folding-bar is, at all times during its operation, at the sume distance from its bearings on the cam-shaft, thus forming a truer and more uniform turn or fold in the metal, and giving a more solid and durable structure to the machine.

Another advantage in the present machine is that the folding-bar, being stationary in its bearings, is always, when open, in position to receive the sheet metal.

I am aware that the employment of cams to close the blade upon the bed-plate is not new,

and hence I do not'claixn this broadly, lintending to limit my claim to the spccitc combination of parts which I employ, as herein particularly set forth.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a machine for bending and folding sheet metal, the combination ot' the foldingbar E, yielding standards e2, yokes e3, camshafts d1, and fixed standards d, whereby a uniform distance is at all times preserved between the folding-bar and the cam-shafts, as described, and for the purpose specified.

2. The combination of the slotted foldingblade B, tenon-arms b1, rock-shafts b2, thumbscrews H, hinged at h to said tenon-arms, and working in standards h', whereby the said folding-blade is adjustable t0 the folding-bar, as described, and for the purpose specitied.

3. The combination of the-folding-blade B, screws c, arms C, friction-rollers c2, shaft c1, having slotted bearings c3, standards d, cams D on shafts d1, segmental pinions d2, racks d3, having slots d5 Working on pins d", cranks el on shaft e, as described, and for the purpose specified.

4. The combination, with the blade B, of the slide K, carrying bars k, ways k2, rib k1, piece k3. and torsion-spring 104, together with the thumb-screw M, and nut m', as described, and for the purpose specified.

PARDON A. WHITNEY.

Witnesses:

MARCUS H. HoLooMzB, FRANCIS D. WHITTLESEY. 

